Walt Disney International has quietly scheduled a refurbishment to the Palais du Cinema the France pavilion at EPCOT. This implies there’s an upcoming closure to each points of interest that rotate within the venue: global treasure Impressions de France and the unbelievably unhealthy Attractiveness and the Beast Sing-Alongside. Right here’s the most recent main points, along side our remark.
In keeping with Walt Disney International’s present running agenda, Impressions de France these days opens at 9 am and closes at 9:30 am on a daily basis, and once more from 7 pm to eight:45 pm every. The Attractiveness and the Beast Sing-Alongside runs the remainder of the day, luring in unsuspecting prey from 10 am till 6:30 pm.
Common readers may recall the Distinctly Unpatriotique Adjustments for Impressions de France from a couple of years in the past. All the way through what can ideally suited be described as an “global incident,” Impressions de France had its hours lowered to just that 30 minutes within the morning. After world outcry, the location used to be de-escalated. Rumor has it that Disney+ is adapting the sordid saga right into a function movie titled Fourteen Days, starring Kevin Costner and Bruce Greenwood.
Right here’s the reputable announcement of the refurbishment posted at the reputable site for Impressions de France:
Impressions de France can be quickly unavailable for regimen refurbishment starting February 22, 2026.
The bulletin is considerably the similar for Attractiveness and the Beast Sing-Alongside, simply with the titles swapped out.
A reopening date for Impressions de France has no longer but been introduced by means of Walt Disney International. Neither Impressions de France nor the sing-along has running hours for as a long way out into the long run because the operational calendar is going (these days early April 2026).
This isn’t essentially indicative of the points of interest happening for a multi-month refurbishment, however it may well be. For no matter reason why, Disney ceaselessly inputs boilerplate hours within the calendar, which can lead to finish dates (or the dearth thereof) mirrored within the reputable calendar being misguided.
There were numerous examples during the last 12 months or so of the reputable calendar being misguided. In truth, Frozen Ever After will have to finally end up being one such instance; it additionally does no longer have hours via early April 2026, regardless of Walt Disney International prior to now pronouncing it will reopen this month.
The secret’s that you’ll be able to’t all the time depend on this calendar, particularly for finish dates that seem to increase past hours which might be these days posted. It’s about 50/50 with such initiatives. (For those who see a closure of a couple of days indexed, that’s a lot more prone to be correct–however even the ones are topic to switch.)
Walt Disney International additionally hasn’t introduced any information about the scope of the refurbishment, nor have any building lets in been filed. Theater initiatives generally contain technical upgrades to the projectors; seating, carpet and fabric refreshes; and different relatively mundane issues. WDW’s Amenities Asset Control does this sort of undertaking on a typical rotation, and to the most efficient of my recollection, it’s been some time because the Palais du Cinema used to be refreshed.
It’s additionally imaginable a subsequent showcase is coming to the pre-show ready room house. The present “Stories As Outdated As Time: French Storytelling on Level & Display screen” is now ~6 years previous. This options 6 gallery circumstances honoring the costumes, tune and paintings that introduced French literature to lifestyles via cinema, theater, ballet and opera. Visitors can catch a glimpse of ways those tales impressed artists from around the world, together with those that created such undying Disney classics as Snoozing Attractiveness, Cinderella and—in fact—Attractiveness and the Beast.
My hope is they’re last the Palais du Cinema as a subtext for quietly striking the sing-along out of its distress. Even though that very same good judgment may just simply as simply–and possibly much more likely–follow within the different route. Which is a part of the explanation we’re bringing this for your consideration.
As we’ve argued again and again in previous posts, Attractiveness and the Beast Sing-Alongside will have to be retired solely. No person will have to be subjected to that abomination, no longer even the individuals who say Dino-Rama used to be excellent as a result of its (allegedly) sensible backstory.
As a reminder/phrases of caution, this sing-along ranks #87 on our Scores of All 87 Points of interest at Walt Disney International. We gave it 0/10 in our appeal evaluation; the following lowest appeal ranking is 3/10. There are just a handful of points of interest which might be underneath 5/10, and not anything else at any park on this planet ratings 0/10.
The ones scores concisely describe the unhappy sing-along as an “offensively unhealthy piece of revisionist lore that spews forth the untold tale of LeFou, which will have to have remained that approach. A ways worse than a direct-to-video sequel, and evidence that fanfic authors may in the future see their terrible goals became our painful realities.”
For the longer winded model, see New EPCOT Movie Overview: The Excellent & The Unpleasant. (Spoiler: it’s the unpleasant one!) This isn’t our bias talking as diehard enthusiasts of Impressions de France. That sing-along is among the worst issues I’ve ever needed to bear at any Disney park anyplace, and I visited the unique Walt Disney Studios Park in (actual) France.
With Walt Disney International killing off Dino-Rama and Megastar Wars Release Bay closing 12 months, the space between #87 and the whole thing else has grown even higher. The extinction of Dino-Rama and reimagining of Animation Courtyard has in truth given me optimism about this.
Prior to now, this sort of refurbishment would’ve put me on top alert; that it used to be a ruse for Disney to quietly kill off Impressions de France. However the ones closures within the closing 12 months counsel excellent style is in any case prevailing at Walt Disney International, which provides me hope that the wrecking ball (figurative, on this case) is coming subsequent for that sorry sing-along.
It is helping that the Attractiveness and the Beast Sing-Alongside isn’t in particular well-liked. It’s no longer like that is drawing large crowds or traces, and I refuse to imagine it’s scoring properly on visitor pride surveys or households are clamoring to look it. I could be cynical, however I’ve no longer misplaced entire religion in humanity.
As a mother or father to a child whose present favourite toy is paper bag with a cat on it, I understand small children once in a while have questionable judgment. However even they’ve higher style than this. Enjoying with an Amazon transport field is exponentially awesome to this sing-along.
When the Attractiveness and the Beast Sing-Alongside used to be introduced, it used to be a surprise that the brand new providing would trade showings with Impressions de France. Even if that announcement used to be made, I believed it’d be a 12 months or much less till a weblog put up with, “because of its overwhelming recognition and comments from our visitors, the Attractiveness and the Beast Sing-Alongside will now have much more showtimes so extra visitors can revel in this liked appeal…”
Fortunately, that also has no longer came about ~6 years later, however it’s nonetheless significance to workout vigilance with regards to protective the global treasure this is Impressions de France.
That is kind of why this put up exists. Plus, either one of the closing couple occasions we’ve coated Impressions de France operational adjustments, readers have pop out to voice their love for the underrated appeal.
Obviously lots of the shiny and lovely readers of this weblog revel in Impressions de France and would wish to find out about this information. It’s additionally imaginable that comments from the group has helped Impressions de France stick round for the closing 6 years.
2nd, we’re sharing out of selfishness. We see Impressions de France greater than we do actually every other appeal in EPCOT. We’ve made a concerted effort to seek advice from each and every filming location (that’s us within the picture above, recreating the scene within the picture above that), which stays a piece in progess.
We’re most probably the nearest factor Impressions de France has to tremendous enthusiasts, and I can by no means hesitate to make use of this weblog as a platform for pro-Impressions de France propaganda. In my protection, our motives are natural of middle. Impressions de France is the most efficient film-based appeal in EPCOT, virtually totally undying (best a few 80s outfits), in addition to a fantastic and efficient ‘gross sales pitch’ for visiting France.
Against this, the Attractiveness and the Beast Sing-Alongside is an abomination to which no person will have to be subjected. So actually, this put up isn’t simply egocentric–it’s an act of group carrier, caution pals who may differently unwittingly see the sing-along.
After all, as an act of selflessness, I’ll suggest beginning or finishing your day with a super ‘meal and a reveal’ enjoy in EPCOT’s France pavilion. Head over Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie at the start of the morning or finish of the night time, revel in a very good and inexpensive meal, after which a presentation of Impressions de France.
You’ll even weave Remy’s Ratatouille Journey into the combo for a extra well-rounded enjoy. It’s the objective-best time to do each that appeal and the bakery for shorter traces, making this each a laid again approach to decelerate and savor International Exhibit and in addition strategically-savvy. Win-win!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you bring to mind the refurbishment to Impressions de France? Constructive that that is Walt Disney International’s face-saving approach of quietly killing off Attractiveness and the Beast Sing-Alongside? Fearful that it’s in truth how EPCOT will finish Impressions de France? Any questions we will be able to permit you to resolution? Listening to your comments–even whilst you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please proportion your ideas underneath within the feedback!
